Manufacture of soluble alkali silicates.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

RUDOLPH-EDWARD wnrssmfiunn, or RUNCORN, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR r0 wrtmm ep'ssAeE &

SONS LIMITED, OF WIDNES, ENGLAND.

. l MANUFACTURE OF SOLUBLE ALKALI SILICATES.

No Drawing.

considerab e pressure for effecting their solu-' In order to obviate tion in boiling water. the necessity for the employment of means for applying such considerable pressure at the place of utilization, the said silicates have been dissolved under heat and pressure at the place of manufacture, or at a place provided with a special plant for the purpose, and sold, transported and stored as a solution, such solution requiring to be put up in expensive barrels, or containers, and entail ing considerable cost in freight, or carriage, owing to the large amount of Water contained in such solutions.

The object of this invention is to provide silicates of soda, and of potash,.or mixtures of these, such that while the product is in a dry condition requiring no expensive barrels, or containers, for transport and storage, it is also in such a form, or condition, that it can be dissolved readily in hot, or boilin water at the place of utilization, thus bot lessening the cost of freight; or carriage, as compared with silicates in solution'and enablingconsumers to obtain solutions without expensive plant for efiecting solution.

According to this invention, silicate of soda, or of potash, derived from any source, or produced in an ordinary, or suitable, wa or a mixture 0 such silicates, while in a mo ten condition, for instance in the condition in which it is produced by melting the alkaline constituent and silicious material together, is subjected to the action of fluid, or vapor, which is forced under pressure into, through, or in contact with, the said inelten silicate, or mixture ofsilicates, preferably by projectin the said fluid, or va or, with considerable orce against the molten silicate, or mixture of silicates, as it leaves the vessel in which it is produced in a molten condition. The fluid, orvapor, employed may, for example, be steam, or air, or any Specification of=Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 24:, 1909. Application filed June 12, 1908. Serial No. 488,113. (Specimens.) I

suitable gas, or gases, or two, or more, of these, and elther cold, hot, or superheated.

The invention may be carried out as follows:The alkaline constituent, o1; constituents, and the silicious' material, such as sand,

having been melted together in a suitable furnace, or vessel, to form silicate of soda, or

of potash or a mixture of such silicates, is

J allowed to run in a falling stream, or streams,

from the outlet from the furnace, or vessel,

and a jet, or jets, of steam, air, or gas, or two, or more, of these, under pressure is, or are, directed with great force across. the path of the stream, or streams, of molten silicate,

or mixture of silicates, or otherwise, so that the steam, or other vapor, or air, or gas, or two, or more, of them, comes, or come, into contact with the molten mass and brings, or bring, it into a form, or condition, resemblin scales in a pearance. condition, the si icate, or mixture of silicates, can be put in bags, bales, or boxes, which may be of a cheap character and need not be of the substantial and ex ensive character necessary for containing si of a solution.-

The silicate, or mixture of silicates, produced as described, althoughit is dry, can be readily dissolved, in hot, or boiling, water at the place of utilization ithout any expeng5 sand means any suitable silieious material, 5

and fluid means steam, air, or gas, or other suitable fluid, or vapor, or two, or more, of them.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a scaly anhydrous alkali silicate readily soluble in water at atmospheric pressure, substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a readily soluble, anhydrous alkali silicate in the form of flat scales,'substantially as described.

In this form, or 75 icate in the form 0 3. As a new article of manufacture, an In testimony whereof I have signed my anhydrous alkali silicate in scaly form and name to this specification in the presence of 10 readily soluble in healted P ater. f two subscribing Witnesses.

4. As a new artice o manu acture, an 1 .0

5 anhydrous alkali silicate readily soluble in RUDOLPHEDWARD WEISSMUILER' water and in the scaly form resulting from Witnesscsi the dispersion of a stream of molten silicate HERBERT-WILLIAMS, by a fluid blast. I WILLIAM EDWIN MCMULLEN. 

